Gene Pitney Remembered Spectropop remembers GENE PITNEY (1940 - 2006) The crooning melodrama for which Gene Pitney is best remembered suggested a singer who took his art, and his pain, all too seriously. In fact it was Pitney's stylistic range, versatility and likeable nature that enabled him to adapt, and so survive the 1960s. When harder-edged rock took over completely he found a home in country and western, and then took American music back to the invaders in Britain. He thrived here, and on the Continent, where he sang and recorded in Spanish, German and Italian. He was born Gene Francis Alan Pitney in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1940, the son of a mill worker. He moved with his family to the small town of Rockwell and first tried to sing at a school concert. It ended in complete embarrassment when he found himself petrified by stagefright. He spent the next few years building his confidence with his first band, the Genials, teaching himself piano and guitar. He studied electronic engineering at Hartford University, but gradually music came to consume more and more of his time.

He began performing locally with the singer Ginny Arnell under the group name Jamie and Jane, and the pair cut some records. He tried the name Billy Bryan for one single, "Cradle Of My Arms", recorded for Blaze Records. The label then suggested he might do better with the handle Homer Muzzy. Pitney found a "proper" label, Musicor, dropped out of education and put his real name on the next single, "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away", pressed from a studio demo he had recorded for $30. Thanks to his background in electronics, Pitney, like Buddy Holly, was an early master of the overdub and the track had enough body to survive without embellishment on many of the Pitney anthologies available today. To keep costs down he played every instrument himself except the bass. Although still struggling to make his own name known, Pitney was enjoying real success as a writer, usually of paeans to romantic agony, for other artists. The Kalin Twins recorded "Loneliness", after which "Hello Mary Lou", submitted to Rick Nelson, provided Pitney's first real hit.

For a while his talents were employed chiefly by some of the also-rans of the early rock'n'roll years, including Steve Lawrence ("Tears From Heaven"), Tommy Edwards ("Blue Heartaches") and Billy Bland ("Harmony"). Pitney did not trouble the Top 20 under his own name until the release of "Town Without Pity", written to accompany a harrowing film starring Kirk Douglas about a rape victim's second brutalisation under the legal process. An important film that would inform The Accused (1988), it was a flop before Pitney's song, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, began to pick up airplay. It was rereleased and was eventually a modest success, while the song won a Golden Globe award for Best Song in a Motion Picture. Pitney became the first pop artist to perform at the Academy Awards, which at last established his name in the US. A second movie theme followed, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance", which became a second gold disc, although the song never appeared in the film.

Pitney's canon defies easy classification, but his great vocal range, and his marrying of rock and remorse, drew comparisons to Roy Orbison who in 1960 recorded Pitney's "Today's Teardrops". "Rubber Ball", given its upbeat "bouncy-bouncy" arrangement by Bobby Vee, still spoke of female manipulation and Pitney's gluttony for emotional punishment. It reached No 6 in the US chart and was Vee's second gold record. It was later a hit for the British artist Marty Wilde. Pitney's songs suited a broad range of artists and interpretations. In 1962 Phil Spector took the track "He's A Rebel" and bent it in a completely different direction for his girl group, the Crystals. It went to No 1, keeping Pitney's own release and his biggest-selling single "Only Love Can Break A Heart" in second place. "He's A Rebel", imbued with Spector's timeless genius, surpassed a million airplays in the US in 1998.

In 1963 Pitney scored his breakthrough hit, "24 Hours From Tulsa", a song that provided a beachhead for a successful tour of the UK and from there a careful cultivation of his continental fanbase. In 1963-64 Pitney came to Britain for a string of tour dates and television appearances. He won quick admiration in the UK, although the British Invasion had by now begun to suffocate his American peers. He befriended the Rolling Stones after appearing on Thank Your Lucky Stars, a meeting of minds that helped to persuade America that they were not so frightening after all. Pitney's next single was the Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs To Yesterday", but it was not a hit. He reciprocated with the piano track on the Stones' "Little By Little". Pitney's "Mecca" (1963) anticipated the Stone's sitar-soaked "Paint It Black" and later Beatles work with its Middle Eastern vibe, although for Pitney the sound was just a novelty in a song about a girl whose house had become his holy city.

He had further Top 10 hits with "It Hurts To Be In Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong", and began to diversify, recording albums in Spanish and Italian. The Musicor label was involved with country and western, a genre not lacking in tears and tantrums, and soon Pitney began to put out albums recorded with George Jones and Melba Montgomery, and the singles "I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night" and "Louisiana Man". He even performed at the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville. By 1966 loud guitars and British rock had displaced Pitney in America but he found new success across the Atlantic. He managed six Top 10 songs in Britain, including two Randy Newman compositions, "Nobody Needs Your Love" and "Just One Smile". Europe was thereafter his main breadwinner; he particularly enjoyed appearing at the song Festival in San Remo in Italy where he married his wife, Lynne, in 1967. In Italy he had a hit with "Nessuno Mi Può Giudicare".

He returned to the British charts in 1989 with Marc Almond to revive his 1967 release, "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart". It was the only No 1 he achieved with his own name, on either side of the Atlantic. In a profession full of ego and excess, Pitney's story is one of patience, sober planning, good decisions and a sustained appreciation of his fans, particularly in Europe. He died suddenly in Cardiff after a concert performance that won a standing ovation. He is survived by his wife Lynne, and by their two sons. (From The Times) Gene Francis Alan Pitney, singer-songwriter: born February 17th, 1940 - died April 5th, 2006 Gene Pitney FAQs 2017- Facts, Rumors and the latest Gossip. Who is Gene Pitney? Biography, gossip, facts? Advertisement Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17 1940 - April 5 2006) was an American singer-songwriter musician and sound engineer.

Through the mid-1960s he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion. Pitney charted 16 Top-40 hits in the U.S. four in the Top 10. In the UK he had 22 Top-40 hits and 11 singles in the Top Ten. How does Gene Pitney look like? How did Gene Pitney look like young? This is how Gene Pitney looks like. The photo hopefully gives you an impression of Gene Pitney's look, life and work. Photo by: William Morris Agency (management), License: PD US no notice, When is Gene Pitney's birthday? Gene Pitney was born on the 17th of February 1940 , which was a Saturday. Gene Pitney's next birthday would be in 39 days (would be turning 77years old then). How old would Gene Pitney be today? Today, Gene Pitney would be 76 years old.

To be more precise, Gene Pitney would be 27762 days old or 666288 hours. Are there any books, DVDs or other memorabilia of Gene Pitney? Is there a Gene Pitney action figure? We would think so. You can find a collection of items related to Gene Pitney right here . What was Gene Pitney's zodiac sign? Gene Pitney's zodiac sign was Aquarius. ♒ The ruling planets of Aquarius are Saturn and Uranus. Therefore, Gene Pitney's lucky days were Sundays and Saturdays and lucky numbers were: 4, 8, 13, 17, 22 and 26. Blue, Blue-green, Grey and Black were Gene Pitney's lucky colors. Typical positive character traits of Aquarius include: Legitimacy, Investigative spirit and Pleasing personality. Negative character traits could be: Inconsistency, Disinclination and Detachment. Was Gene Pitney gay or straight? Many people enjoy sharing rumors about the sexuality and sexual orientation of celebrities. We don't know for a fact whether Gene Pitney was gay, bisexual or straight. However, feel free to tell us what you think! Vote by clicking below.

27% of all voters think that Gene Pitney was gay (homosexual), 67% voted for straight (heterosexual), and 7% like to think that Gene Pitney was actually bisexual. Advertisement Is Gene Pitney still alive? Are there any death rumors? Unfortunately no, Gene Pitney is not alive anymore. The death rumors are true. How old was Gene Pitney when he/she died? Gene Pitney was 66 years old when he/she died. Was Gene Pitney hot or not? Well, that is up to you to decide! Click the "HOT"-Button if you think that Gene Pitney was hot, or click "NOT" if you don't think so. 81% of all voters think that Gene Pitney was hot, 19% voted for "Not Hot". When did Gene Pitney die? How long ago was that? Gene Pitney died on the 5th of April 2006, which was a Wednesday. The tragic death occurred 10 years ago. Do you have a photo of Gene Pitney? There you go. This is a photo of Gene Pitney or something related.

Photo by: William Morris Agency (management), License: PD US no notice, Where was Gene Pitney born? Gene Pitney was born in Hartford Connecticut, United States. Did Gene Pitney do drugs? Did Gene Pitney smoke cigarettes or weed? It is no secret that many celebrities have been caught with illegal drugs in the past. Some even openly admit their drug usuage. Do you think that Gene Pitney did smoke cigarettes, weed or marijuhana? Or did Gene Pitney do steroids, coke or even stronger drugs such as heroin? Tell us your opinion below. 11% of the voters think that Gene Pitney did do drugs regularly, 17% assume that Gene Pitney did take drugs recreationally and 72% are convinced that Gene Pitney has never tried drugs before. Where did Gene Pitney die? Gene Pitney died in Cardiff, United Kingdom, Wales. What are other names for Gene Pitney? Does Gene Pitney have an alias? Gene Pitney is also know as Billy Bryan. What instruments did Gene Pitney play? Gene Pitney did know how to play various instruments. These are some of them: Drum kit, Guitar and Piano. When did Gene Pitney retire?

When did Gene Pitney end the active career? Gene Pitney retired in 2006, which is more than 11 years ago. When did Gene Pitney's career start? How long ago was that? Gene Pitney's career started in 1961. That is more than 56 years ago. What kind of music did Gene Pitney do? What genre was Gene Pitney? Gene Pitney's music and music style belong to the following genre: Rock and roll. What was Gene Pitney's real name? Gene Pitney's full given name was Gene Francis Alan Pitney. Who are similar musical artists to Gene Pitney? Mousumi Bhowmik , Sharon-Lee Lane , Jibbs , Cyril Cinélu and Susan McFadden are musical artists that are similar to Gene Pitney. Click on their names to check out their FAQs. What is Gene Pitney doing now? As mentioned above, Gene Pitney died 10 years ago. Feel free to add stories and questions about Gene Pitney's life as well as your comments below. Are there any photos of Gene Pitney's hairstyle or shirtless? There might be. But unfortunately we currently cannot access them from our system.

We are working hard to fill that gap though, check back in tomorrow! What is Gene Pitney's net worth in 2017? How much does Gene Pitney earn? According to various sources, Gene Pitney's net worth has grown significantly in 2017. However, the numbers vary depending on the source. If you have current knowledge about Gene Pitney's net worth, please feel free to share the information below. $ 1000000 Submit Gene Pitney's net worth is estimated to be in the range of approximately $411167006 in 2017, according to the users of vipfaq. The estimated net worth includes stocks, properties, and luxury goods such as yachts and private airplanes. Gene Pitney · 2017 Tour Dates and Concert Tickets | Thrillcall Track Artist for New Show Alerts Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early ...

Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion. Pitney charted 16 Top-40 hits in the U.S., four in the Top 10. In the UK he had 22 Top-40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten. He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded by Bobby Vee, "He's a Rebel" by The Crystals, and "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Early years Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and grew up in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut. His early influences were Clyde McPhatter, country-blues singer Moon Mullican and doo-wop groups like The Crows.

He attended Rockville High School, at which he was named "the Rockville Rocket", and where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. He made records as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell (who in late 1963 had a solo hit, "Dumb Head"), and in 1959 recorded a single as Billy Bryan. The first of the two Decca 45s as Jamie and Jane was "Snuggle Up, Baby," a cover of a song Charlie Gracie recorded at Cameo 1957 or early 1958, which remained unreleased until London Records released Gracie's original version in Europe in 1978. Career Rise to fame (1961–1964) Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which made the Top 40, the self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away", on which he played several instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, the title song from the film Town Without Pity starring Kirk Douglas.

Written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, the song won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, but lost the award to "Moon River". Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on April 9, 1962 (honoring the film year of 1961); years later, at a gig in south Wales, it would be the last song he would sing in public before his death at the age of 66. Pitney is also remembered for Burt Bacharach-Hal David song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962. Though it shares a title with a 1962 John Ford western with the same title, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, starring John Wayne, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute between Famous Music and Paramount Pictures. Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "He's a Rebel" for The Crystals, Vikki Carr, and Elkie Brooks; "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison; "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee; and "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson.

The Crystals' version of "He's A Rebel" kept Pitney's own #2 hit Only Love Can Break a Heart, his highest-charting single in the U.S., from the top spot. The use of Arabian music in Pitney's 1963 hit "Mecca" anticipated The Beatles' psychedelic sound experimentation. Exotic instruments, such as mariachi trumpets in "Lonely Drifter", ukuleles in "Hawaii", and a gypsy fiddle in "Golden Earrings", became a Pitney trademark. His popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at #5 in Britain at the start of 1964. It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart and the first to break into the Top Twenty there; it was also a hit in the U.S, peaking at #17 on the Hot 100.

Involvement with the Rolling Stones (1964) Pitney was present with Phil Spector at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little" and other tracks for their debut album; he played piano, though the extent is uncertain. The Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the Rolling Stones to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. In the U.S. the single stalled at No. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer.

Maintaining popularity After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string of hits in the mid-1960s, including the 1964 singles "It Hurts to Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong", which reached #7 and #9, respectively, in the U.S., and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at #2 in the UK, matching the #2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, though Sedaka's trademark backing harmonies were left intact. In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones. They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year.

Pitney also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish and German, and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He had a regional hit with "Nessuno Mi Può Giudicare". UK, Australian and European stardom (1966–1970s) Pitney's career in the U.S. took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. He returned one last time to the Top 40 with "She's a Heartbreaker" in mid-1968 and placed several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970 he was no longer a hit-maker in the U.S. Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974.

In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to Top 40 in 1974, as both Blue Angel (No. 2) and Trans-Canada Highway (No. 14; production by David Mackay) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relation Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer". In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road. Later career Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond recorded a duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. The song had been a UK No. 5 for Pitney in 1967. The duet brought him his first UK No. 1, in late January 1989.

The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. 1 elsewhere in Europe. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan television show in Britain, Almond dressed in leather, Pitney in a white tuxedo. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds had recorded "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" on their cover album, Kicking Against the Pricks, in 1986. However, it never had the success of Pitney-Almond. On 26 February 1993, Pitney performed at Carnegie Hall in New York on the day of the first World Trade Center bombing. In 2000, he re-recorded "Half Heaven, Half Heartache" as a duet with Jane Olivor on her 'comeback' album Love Decides. On 18 March 2002 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Death His tour manager found Gene Pitney dead on 5 April 2006 in a Hilton Hotel room in Cardiff, during a UK tour. Pitney was 66.

His final show at Cardiff's St David's Hall earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity". An autopsy revealed that he had died of a heart attack and had severely constricted coronary arteries. He was survived by his wife Lynne and their three sons Todd, Chris, and David. He was buried at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut. Posthumous tributes Marc Almond recorded "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" for his 2007 covers album, Stardom Road. On 20 September 2007, a plaque to Pitney was unveiled at the town hall in his hometown of Rockville, Connecticut. Members of the family attended. The event was emceed by nationally known oldies radio DJ and Pitney friend "Wild" Wayne. The Gene Pitney Commemorative Committee established a music scholarship in Pitney's name. It is awarded annually to Rockville High School. In October 2008, an international fan convention was held in Rockville.

2006 2006 Buy from Amazon.com: Lou Rawls CD, DVD Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was a Chicago-born American soul music, jazz, and blues singer. Known for his smooth vocal style, Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game." Rawls released more than 70 albums, sold more than 40 million records, appeared as an actor in motion pictures and on television, and voiced-over many cartoons. He had been called "The Funkiest Man Alive". Death of Lou Rawls Rawls died on January 6, 2006 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from complications of the cancers. Lou Rawls was 74 years old at the time of his death.

Lou Rawls is well known for: Phrase "Yeahhhh, buddy!" Songs "Lady Love", "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" Captain from TV Show Bay Watch » Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 - April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter. He was also an accomplished guitarist, pianist, drummer and skilled sound engineer. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Death of Gene Pitney Pitney died on April 5, 2006 at the age of 66. He was found dead by his tour manager in the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff in the middle of a UK tour. His final show at Worthing's Pavilion Theatre was deemed a huge success, with a standing ovation, ending the show with his 1961 hit "Town Without Pity". An autopsy confirmed the singer died of natural causes. Pitney was laid to rest on April 13, 2006 at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut.

Career Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed considerable success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic. As a performer, he charted 16 Top 40 hit singles in the U.S., four of which reached the Top Ten. In the UK, the figures were even more impressive: 22 top 40 hits, and 11 Top Tens. As a songwriter, he also penned the big early 1960s hits "He's A Rebel" by The Crystals, and "Hello Mary Lou" by Rick Nelson. Gene Pitney - Town Without Pitty » Gene Pitney (Singer) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Gene Pitney Singer and Songwriter Male Gene Francis Alan Pitney was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the British Invasion. Pitney charted 16 Top-40 hits in the U.S. , four in the Top 10.

In the UK he had 22 Top-40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten.… Read More related links Why Buddy Holly Should Not Fade Away And Won't Huffington Post - Feb 02, 2016 'In case you didn\'t notice, the music didn\'t really die on Feb. 3, 1959. But Buddy Holly did, and so did Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, and that\'s more than enough to make the day worth remembering. So let\'s do it anyway, 57 years later, because we don\'t remember this kind of thing enough. I don\'t think it\'s personal. Popular music, like most of popular culture, just moves on. People who remember seeing or hearing Buddy Holly while he was alive are all on Medicare n... Michael Sigman: The Melodies Linger On (Part I) Huffington Post - Aug 03, 2013 '\n Jan Swafford\'s slate.com essay \"The Most Beautiful Melody in the World\" inspired me to ask my most popular-music-obsessed friends to name their favorite tunes.

\n\n The terms were simple: Pick a fave song from the last 50 years based solely on its melody. Simple, perhaps; but hardly easy. Separating a melody from its lyric -- and any particular vocal and arrangement -- is a tough job. But someone\'s gotta do it. \n\n A few confident souls responded instantly, as though they\'d... Sean Martinfield: Tenor Noah Stewart Debuts With Berkeley Symphony In World Premiere Of New Work By Steven Stucky Huffington Post - Mar 19, 2013 '\n Tenor Noah Stewart, an alumnus of San Francisco\'s Merola Opera Program and the prestigious Adler Fellows, joins the Berkeley Symphony on March 28 in the world premiere of Steven Stucky\'s The Stars and the Roses. A song cycle in three parts, the score by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer is set to the poetry of Czeslaw Milosz, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The program will also include Bruckner\'s Symphony No.4 in E-Flat Major, Music Director Joana Carneiro cond...

Bob Purse: A Halloween Treat The Elusive Thurl Ravenscroft Single: A 30 Year Search Comes To An End Huffington Post - Oct 30, 2012 '\n Today\'s story begins with another story, from another time and place: It\'s 1982, and I\'m in the music library of Northwestern University. Â A few years earlier, I had been turned on to Casey Kasum\'s American Top 40, and I quickly found that following the charts tied in nicely with my expanding love of then-current pop music, my passion for playing with numbers (and math in general), and, in the years that followed, my burgeoning adoration and knowledge about the music of the \'... Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Gene Pitney. CHILDHOOD 1940 Birth Born on February 17, 1940. TEENAGE 1959 19 Years Old He made records as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell (who in late 1963 had a solo hit, "Dumb Head"), and in 1959 recorded a single as Billy Bryan.

TWENTIES 1961 21 Years Old Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which made the Top 40, the self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away", on which he played several instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. … Read More He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, the title song from the film Town Without Pity starring Kirk Douglas. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, the song won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, but lost the award to "Moon River". Read Less Show Less Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on 9 April 1962 (honoring the film year of 1961). Pitney is also remembered for the Burt BacharachâHal David song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962.

… Read More Though it shares a title with a 1962 John Ford western with the same title, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, starring John Wayne, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute between Famous Music and Paramount Pictures.<br /><br /> Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals (later covered by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks); "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison; "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee; and "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson. The Crystals' version of "He's A Rebel" kept Pitney's own No. 2 hit "Only Love Can Break a Heart", his highest-charting single in the U.S., from the top spot. Read Less Show Less His popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa", a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at No. 5 in Britain at the start of 1964.

… Read More It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart and the first to break into the Top Twenty there; it was also a hit in the U.S, peaking at No. 17 on the Hot 100.<br /><br /> Pitney was present with Phil Spector at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little" and other tracks for their debut album; he played piano, though the extent is uncertain. Read Less The Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a No. 7 UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the duo to become a Top 10 hit in the UK. … Read More In the U.S. the single stalled at No. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer.

Read Less After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string of hits in the mid-1960s, including the 1964 singles "It Hurts to Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong", which reached No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, in the U.S., and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK, matching the No. 2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. … Read More The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, though Sedaka's trademark backing harmonies were left intact. Read Less 1965 25 Years Old In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones. … Read More They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year.

Pitney also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish and German, and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He had a regional hit with "Nessuno mi puÃ² giudicare". Read Less 1966 26 Years Old Pitney's career in the U.S. took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. 1968 28 Years Old He returned one last time to the Top 40 with "She's a Heartbreaker" in mid-1968 and placed several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970 he was no longer a hit-maker in the U.S. THIRTIES Show Less Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974.

In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to Top 40 in 1974, as both Blue Angel (No. 2) and Trans-Canada Highway (No. 14; production by David Mackay) were substantial hits. 1976 36 Years Old Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road", written and produced by distant relation Edward Pitney. … Read More They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer".<br /><br /> In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road. Read Less FORTIES Show Less Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond recorded a duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. … Read More The song had been a UK No. 5 for Pitney in 1967. Read Less The duet brought him his first UK No.

1, in late January 1989. … Read More The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. 1 elsewhere in Europe. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan television show in Britain. Read Less FIFTIES 1993 53 Years Old On 26 February 1993, Pitney performed at Carnegie Hall in New York on the day of the first World Trade Center bombing. LATE ADULTHOOD 2000 60 Years Old In 2000, Pitney sang harmony vocals on Jane Olivor's recording of his 1962 hit, "Half Heaven â Half Heartache", which was released on her 'comeback' album Love Decides. 2002 62 Years Old On 18 March 2002, Pitney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. … Read More Pitney was involved in a memorable gaffe on ITV's This Morning in 1989, owing to a "technical mishap".

Giving an ostensibly live performance of his track "You're the Reason", Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime along in time to his backing track"; he tried not to laugh and continued with the song. The incident has been repeated on television over the years, notably on a 2002 episode of BBC One series Room 101, where host Paul Merton described it as a "very funny moment" in which Pitney came in "unbearably late". It was re-aired on the 25th anniversary edition of This Morning in 2013, where presenter Holly Willoughby "broke out into a cold sweat" while reliving the moment. Read Less

Question: Which American singer-songwriter who was born on February 17th 1940 died in a Cardiff hotel in 2006?
Answer: GENE PITNEY